Farmstead in Sandalen in Jølster

The subject is a cluster of houses with turf roofs, with a steep, snow-flecked mountain in the background. The mountain is Knebben and the cluster of houses is Midttunet in Sandalen in Jølster. The description is based on a black and white photo that was printed in the newspaper Bergens Tidende (21/09/1998).

In the article, the owner at the time, Andrea Leirgulen (1908–2004), explains that she was given the painting by Nikolai Astrup when she was a little girl, probably just before the First World War. Leirgulen was the daughter of Johannes Sunde (1880–1936), who was a half-brother of Engel Astrup (1892–1966). The artist’s wife was therefore Leirgulen’s aunt. In the interview, Leirgulen also mentions that Astrup was her godfather. Leirgulen’s mother, Sofia, grew up at Midttunet, which was situated at Sandalstrand in Sandalen. The family moved to Sunde and settled there after the parents’ marriage in 1903.